Release device for fire escape doors



0d. 18, 1932. w DOWNES 1,883,626

RELEASE DEVICE FOR FIRE ESCAPE DOORS Filed Feb. 16, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MP 1 L I v L IL IL 1 M 8a 6 1'; 6 A: I

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INVENTOR. A flaw/1 M DOW/L95 ATTORNE Oct. 18, l932-.= R w, owmzs RELEASE DEVICE FOR FIRE ESCAPE nooks Filed Feb. 16, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. Qa4o/1 W. DOW/7E6 A TTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 18, 1932 warren STATES RALPH w. nowlvns, or KANSAS our, mssonnr, lissrsivon no normal MAIIUFAOTUR-. I

ING oonroaa'rroiv, or cnrcaeo, ILLrNors,,-A ooarofnnrlonon DELAWARE RELEASE nsvron non rrannscnrn ,zooons Application filed February 16,1931. SeriaIIt o. 515,973.

This invention relates to improvements in a release device for fire escape doors and re fers more particularly to a spring plate positioned beneath the doors having a locking r member adapted to engage the doors which are equipped with spring hinges, which member holds the doors in a closed position and releases them when the spring plate is depressed.

A further feature of the invention is the replacement of the horizontal-bar across the door opening by two corner bars or hand grips positioned in the corners of the door opening to facilitate a persons entering the fire escape.

The invention is applicable particularly to an entrance opening to tubular fire escapes used in connection with public buildings such as schools and like institutions.

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a fire escape opening with the doors in a closed position.

Fig. 2 is the same view with the doors in an open position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view with parts broken away showing more clearly the operation of the device. 7

Referring to the drawings, in the entrance to the tubular fire escape are swung, by means of spring hinges 1, doors 2 and 3. Handles 4 are mounted on the doors to facilitate closing them after they have been swung open. In the floor 5 in front of the opening is a floor plate 6, preferably of steel or some non-corrosive metal such as brass or nickeled iron or steel. Screwed or otherwise fastened to the front of the floor plate 6 is a spring plate'7. To enclose the open ends are guard plates 8 which are fastened to the floor and overlap the spring plate as shown at 8A. At the free end of the spring plate is a bar lock 9 rigidly attached to the spring plate and positioned directly beneath the bottom of the doors 2 and 3. In the bottom edge of the door is rabbeted out, a groove or channel 10, which fits over the bar 9 when the doors are in a closed position. The engagement of the grooves in the doors with the bar 9'hold s the spring hinged doors in a closed position. Along the lower edge in front of each door is 5 metalpanel 11 which isro unded 05 at 11A so that when the doors are closed, this rounded 0Ev portion contacts the top of the bar 9 near its ends. The. contact of the bar .9 by both doors'as they are being closed do presses the spring plate 7 automatically bringing the bar into engagement with the slots 10 in the doors when they are completely shut. In this position, the bar 9 snaps into the grooves 10 and maintains the doors in a closedposition until the spring plate is again depressed sufficiently to release the doors and permitthemto spring open. To facilitate the operation, the frontedge of the bar is rounded off as shown in Fig. 3. In addition tothe functioning as a spring release,'the horizontal cross bar usually used near thetops of the doors for swinging persons into the tubular fire escape has been replacedby curved bars positioned in the corners of the opening adapted to be gripped by a hand on either sideof the opening when a: person is swinging himself into the tubular fireescape.

Further obviousadvantages of the releasin'g treaolle or threshold plate are that itis unnecessary for the occupants to stoop to release the lugs on the doors wind cannot blow the doors back in the way of the occupants. due to the spring hinges holding the doors. open; furthermore the lug on the threshold plate which fits into the rabbeted groove on the doors, being rounded, permits the doors to' open when pressure is applied tothe'doors as well as the threshold plate. Single bars arranged in the corners in place of a horizontal bar across the center of the opening, permit small as well as large people to enter the tube without difficulty. The kick plates on the doors, being rounded at the ends, permit the. doors to be pulled shut without forcing down the threshold plate. These advantages are inherently associated with the mechanism for operating the doors and, although each in itself seems to be of little importance, the combination functions positively and with the least possible effort in the opening of the doors and in closing the doors.

I claim as my invention:

1. A release device for a spring hinged fire escape door comprising a spring floor plate having a raised bar transversely posi-' tioned adjacent its free end, a groove in the door adapted to engage the bar and to co operate therewith to hold the door in a closed position, the depression of the spring plate adapted to release the bar from the groove in the door. v

2. In a release device for spring hinged fire escape doors, a combination with a spring floor plate having a free end beneath the doors, a bar latch mounted upon the free end of the spring plate, a groove in the bottom of the doors for engaging the bar latch, said engagement accomplished when the doors-are in a closed position and disengagement efiected With the depression of the spring plate.

3. In an automatic fire escape door releasing device including in combination a fire escape door and groove in the bottom of said door, an inherently resilient floor plate, a latching bar secured to said floor plate for coaction with said groove to hold the door in its locked position whereby when pressure is brought to bear on said inherently resilient floor plate, it will be depressed to permit said locking bar to move to unlocking position.

4:. In an automatic fire escape door releasing device including in combination a fire escape door, latching means on said door and an inherently resilient floor plate, means on said floor plate adapted to coact with the latching means 011 said door to hold the door in closed position whereby when pressure is brought to bear on said floor plate, it will be depressed to permit unlatching of said door.

5. In an automatic fire escape door releasing device including in combination a fire escape door, a groove in the bottom of said door, a movable floor plate, a latching bar secured to said floor plate for coaction with said groove to hold the door in its locked position whereby when pressure is brought to bear on said fioor plate, it will be depressed to permit said locking, bar to move to unlocking position.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

RALPH W. DOWNES. 

